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Peter Sauber is no longer involved in the operation of the team that bears his name. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Sauber F1 team founder: We're going to be last this season

Peter Sauber is no longer financially involved but has an emotional investment

March 20, 2017

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Formula 1 team founder Peter Sauber has admitted that his Swiss outfit is set to bring up the rear of the field in 2017.

"There are 10 teams," he told the Swiss newspaper Sonntagsblick. "The initial position for Sauber is number 10."

But a worse fate seemed in store for Sauber not too long ago, with the 73-year-old admitting the team he took into F1 back in 1993 almost collapsed completely. Now, with a rescue buyout complete, semi-retirement has become full retirement for Peter Sauber, who says he is no longer involved and owns "not a screwdriver" at Hinwil, Switzerland.

In fact, he said he will be vacationing in South Africa by the end of this week and might not even watch the 2017 season opener on television. Sauber admitted he still feels affected by the turmoil of his last years in F1.

"I needed some time to process the separation from my company," he said. "It is not easy, and I have had sleepless nights. It was a real tightrope walk, and a collapse was always possible. For me, it was an extremely stressful situation, with many unpleasant encounters and telephone calls."

One rumor, for example, is that Sauber had a falling out with the team's ongoing boss, Monisha Kaltenborn.

"We have very little contact," he said. "I still have contacts with some employees, but no office, and I'm never there. They say I am the founder, and they will use the Sauber name, which is important for the new owners. But overall, we made a clean break. It is better like that. So I have nothing to do with the company anymore."

So for now, Peter Sauber thinks the team that still bears his name will be last in 2017.

"But I hope they will succeed in overtaking one or two teams," he said. "There are no miracles in F1. When I look at the years after BMW, 2012 was the last really good season, and after that, it became difficult because of the lack of financial resources.

"During the development of the 2017 car, the time between May and September was very important, and it was then that the funds were missing."